Jon

The fight lasted longer than Jon would have liked, but it was expected considering the wolves' ferocity and battle prowess.

Jon tried to help by wielding his oiled sword to the best of his ability and rushing to Will's side. The bounty hunter waved him away.

"Cover my back," Will instructed as he pressured Lupa back. Jon nodded his head even though his companion couldn't see him and turned his back to guard Will's unprotected rear. Theeb was there, fur bristling and teeth bared.

"Hey big boy, how are you doing?"

The wolf didn't answer. They regarded each other for a few seconds, Jon with adrenaline pumping through his limbs and Theeb with the calm aggressive demeanor.

"Look, I don't understand why Lupa can't -"

He instinctively raised his blade as Theeb rushed him, the timber wolf's massive jaws open in a deathlock. The wolf pranced away from the dripping blade and curled his lip in a sneer.

"I hate it when you do that," Jon muttered.

Behind him, Will seemed to be faring better. Lupa reared back, roaring wildly. A few green drops of oil dripped from her flank and sizzled on the dirt. She dropped to the floor a second later, then started writhing wildly, her powerful arms and legs kicking weakly in the air.

Once again, Theeb rushed to her side. The male whined sorrowfully and nudged her side with his snout. Jon and Will exchanged a quick glance, silently deciding to give the large wolf time.

When Theeb finally turned towards them, his eyes were tinged red with rage. His breathing was heavy and his chest heaved up and down with every syllable.

"Silvvv... Sord... Payy... Nnn... Lupa... Theeb... Payy... Nnn... Silvvv... Sord!"

The message was clear. Jon looked fearfully at the more experienced fighter, who shook his head grimly.

"Stay back," Will warned. "He wants me, and his rage makes him reckless. If you want to help, then watch and wait for an opening."

He didn't have time to continue before the snarling mess of claws and fangs threw itself at him, knocking him to the floor. The bounty hunter managed to kick Theeb in the snout and bought himself a few seconds to stand up and straighten his sword. The wolf was at him again, more like a chaotic devil than a woodland creature, but Will was prepared, driving the creature back with equal ferocity and skill.

Jon tried to do as Will instructed, but a loud and stern voice stopped him in place.

"Come to me," it commanded.

"No!" he shouted back. "You're trying to stop me from helping Will."

"And? Do thou care about this... Fraud? Everything thou liked him for was an illusion he created to maintain his reputation and ego."

"Of course I care! He saved my life. He saved me from my life with my abusive aunt and uncle, then saved me again when Azrael killed me."

"Very well. He will not die yet. Look at him, he can take care of himself."

The blond glanced at Will. The bounty hunter was staring right back with a piercing gaze. Jon held it for a second. Suddenly, Will cracked a smile and gave Jon a thumbs up. The bounty hunter was bleeding from a claw mark near his ribs, but he otherwise seemed fine.

"Are you sure?" Jon asked anxiously.

"Go," the bounty hunter nodded. "You can take care of yourself. I won't have to tell you to be careful."

Will had to spin around to fight back the large wolf, who was bleeding from his nose.

"I'll be back soon!" Jon called. He turned to the woods and stumbled towards the voice. The noises of battle as Will fought back the furious timber wolf slowly faded behind him, and he was plunged into the ambient silence of the Woods of Khatir.

><><><><><><><><><><><

"Where are you?" Jon called out after aimlessly staggering around for a while. How long had it been? A few minutes? An hour? Certainly not more than two... It was hard to tell the time. It was still day, but the sun was nowhere to be seen, and looking up at the towering trees only made him feel dizzy and small.

"Over here," the voice of the huntress replied from the right.

"But also here," the voice said smugly somewhere behind him.

"No more games. Show yourself."

The female materialized from behind an especially large trunk, stalking her way towards him. Her leather boots soundlessly trampled branches and leaves as she approached. Jon swallowed hard and tried to look sharp.

There she was; the petite figure, dark hair and eyes, streaks of war paint smeared on her cheekbones, and the knowing smirk playing on the corners of her delicate lips. He winced and hoped she didn't notice the growing bulge in his pants.

"I can play whatever game I want," she replied. Neith stopped a few steps in front of Jon. "And thou'll play along. Won't thou, little pet?"

"I'm not your pet," Jon fired back angrily. "Call back your wolves before they get hurt, let Will and me go. Will has killed demons before. He'll kill you too."

"And thou'll let him do that? Slaughter me like he slaughtered that monster Azrael?"

"You... Didn't like Azrael?"

"Of course I didn't. No one did. Had a huge ego, threw his weight around and thought he was too important to be replaced. So I reckon the Wizard got rid of him."

"What makes you think he won't get rid of you too?"

She tilted her head, considering the question. A small smile played over her lips, and her hair tumbled to one side. Jon had to bite his tongue hard to focus on the conversation, not on the frangrance of mint and cinnamon that wafted from her black curls.

"Nothing. In fact, that's part of the reason why I'm here today. As much as I am enjoying the hunt, I want to get this job over with before it spirals out of hand. The way the Wizard dealed with Azrael so swiftly and so discreetly - painting it like thy friend overpowered him in battle and is on a mad hunt to kill the rest of us - is concerning. Just to be sure, is that true?"

"No," Jon blinked. "The Wizard tricked Azrael by telling him Will won't fight back, and Will stabbed him in the back. It doesn't sound very brave, but Will was sick and injured and delirious."

"I believe thee. No need to get so defensive."

"Why are you here, anyway? If you suspect that the Wizard will betray you, just... Leave. Disappear."

"It's not that easy, little pet."

"Don't call me that."

"He sees all. Knows all."

A mischievous grin broke across her lips. Just when Jon thought she couldn't get any more attractive.

"Or so he'd like to think. Thou see, little pet, I plan to double cross him. I know he's listening right now. The point I want to get across is that I will not capture Will Paragon, or let him escape. I will kill him and reabsorb the powers he stole from Azrael. Then I will disappear, with the power of two demons to protect me."

"I won't let you do that," Jon said unwaveringly. "Will is my friend. You'll have to get through me."

"I was hoping thou wouldn't say that, because I haven't gotten to my proposal yet."

"Whatever it is, I'm not interested."

"Sure thou aren't," she winked. "Thou'd love to spend that much time with me. We can hunt together, skin together, eat together... Play together. Or rather, I'll play with thee, little pet."

She took another step forwards, running her fingers over his arm and grinning slyly.

"Oh, I know that look in thy eyes. Like a cornered mouse."

Neith laughed, stepping back and turning her back. Through his daze and shock, Jon understood what that gesture meant. Total and complete faith that Jon wouldn't harm her. That Jon couldn't harm her. His hand sneaked towards his sword.

"Pull that hand back," she chided with her back still turned. Surprising himself, he obeyed soundlessly.

"Now, my pet, head back to thy friend and tell him everything. I want him to give me a worthy hunt. A final hunt. And..."

Her voice softened as she finished her sentence.

"... Give Theeb and Lupa a decent burial, will thou? It would please me greatly."

Without another word and without waiting for an answer from speechless Jon, Neith darted behind a Khatir tree and promptly vanished.

Jon waited for a few minutes, half hoping she'd come back. When she didn't, he slowly trudged back in the direction he came from. Or at least he hoped it was the way he came from.

The huntress watched the scrawny blond head back, still smiling to herself. She didn't like the bounty hunter much; he was rude and unruly, but the boy was likeable. It would be a shame if he stood in her way.

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Hullo! A bit of a short chapter, something else I managed to cough up during exam season. I'm surprised I managed to write this anyway, so I'll take what I can get. I can always fix this later!

So, how are you guys doing? Well, I hope? Still getting those creative juices flowing? ;)

Be sure to tell me what you think of Neith, and of this chapter in general. I'd love to hear your feedback.

I hope you enjoyed, and as always, have a wonderful day/evening.

P.S. joanna388 no wolf pets this time, unfortunately ;(